By Jennifer Moody
Albany Democrat-Herald | Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 12:00 am
'Sustaining the Spirit' is theme of Brownsville festival
BROWNSVILLE - Chaunte Meyers and a court of three junior princesses will reign this weekend over the 122nd Linn County Pioneer Picnic.
Pioneer Picnic, the oldest continuous festival in Oregon, takes place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Brownsville. This year's theme is "Sustaining the Spirit," a nod to Oregon's 150 years of statehood.
Meyers, a home-schooled senior, will be crowned in a ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday on the Pioneer Park stage. She will be attended by princesses Jessica Neal and Grace Glenn, second-graders from Central Linn Elementary School, and Taytum Vogel, a second-grade home-schooler.
The festival hasn't had a junior court for some years, but this year's board was interested in seeing it happen, said Leisa Keyser, chairwoman of the Linn County Pioneer Picnic Association. As it happened, she said, only Meyers applied for the senior court, so she receives the crown by default.
Meyers also will be receiving a scholarship, newly named in memory of Association President Kurt Riemer. Riemer, a former public works director, who served on the festival's board for at least a decade, died in November at age 58. The scholarship amount has not yet been determined, Keyser said.
Other new events this year include a Texas hold 'em poker tournament on Saturday and a free "family dance" Friday night. The usual afternoon square dance has been moved to 6 p.m. Saturday.
On Saturday, as part of the festival, the city will hold a ceremony dedicating five benches at Library Park to the memory of local veterans. Sgt. 1st Class Rick Dominguez of Brownsville, who served in Iraq, put together the bench project and did a sidewalk with curbs and gutters with the help of local volunteers including Curtis Excavating, Swartzendruber Construction, Karo Construction and the Veterans of the 21st Century.
Back by popular demand, Keyser said, are a three-on-three basketball tournament, a helicopter visit by the Oregon Army National Guard out of Salem, displays by the Cedar Village of Learning teepee and mountain man encampment, and a free showing at dusk on Saturday of the made-for-TV drama "Flood!", filmed in Brownsville in the mid-1970s.
Organizers showed "Flood!" last year, to the great amusement of most of the viewers, Keyser said.
"It's supposed to be a dramatic thing, a town floods, but it's just hilarious," she said. "People were just laughing because of the dramatics."
Here is the schedule of events:
Friday
8 to 10 a.m. - Deliver flower show entries, Log Cabin
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Pioneer Picture Gallery open
Noon - Kiddie Parade assembles, Old Baptist Church
12 to 6 p.m. - Quilt and Fiber Arts Show, Community Arts Building
1 p.m. - Kiddie Parade, Main Street
1 to 7 p.m. - Flower Show, Log Cabin
2 p.m. - Spelling Bee, Stage
3:30 p.m. - Penny Scramble, Family Games Area
5 p.m. - Cascade Performing Arts, Stage
7 p.m. - Opening ceremony and introduction of court, Stage (the Queen's Ball at the Dance Hall will follow the prize drawing)
Saturday
Ongoing - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, Basketball Court
All day sign-up - Talent show, Info Booth
6 to 9 a.m. - Wagon Train Breakfast, Pavilion
7 a.m. - Sign-ups, "Taking Steps to Find A Cure," Stage
8 a.m. - "Taking Steps to Find a Cure" 3K walk, Pioneer Park
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Softball and baseball games, Baseball Diamond
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Picture Gallery open, Picture Gallery
10 a.m. - Grand Parade, downtown
11 a.m. - Dedication of Veterans Memorial, Library Park
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Heritage Display, The Prairie
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Brownsville Art Association Art Show, Log Cabin
11:30 a.m. - Sign-ups, Horseman's Playday, Horse Arena
12 to 6 p.m. - Quilt and Fiber Arts Show, Community Arts Building
12:30 to 4 p.m. - Helicopter static display OH58, back basketball court
1 to 4:30 p.m. - Texas Hold 'Em, Dance Hall
1 to 5 p.m. - Horse Playday, Horse Arena
1 to 7 p.m. - Flower Show, Log Cabin
2 p.m. - Pie eating contest, Stage
3 p.m. - Kids Talent Show, Stage
6 to 9 p.m. - Square dance, Dance Hall
7 p.m. - Talent show, Stage
Dusk - Movie, "Flood!" (filmed in Brownsville), Stage
Sunday
7 to 10 a.m. - Wagon Train Breakfast, Pavilion
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Softball & Baseball Games, Baseball Diamond
10 a.m. - Church Service, Stage
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Flower Show, Log Cabin
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Miniature Horse Show, Horse Arena
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Heritage Displays, The Prairie
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Quilt and Fiber Arts Show, Community Arts Bldg
12:30 p.m. - Penny Scramble, Family Games Area
1 p.m. - Family Games/Races, Family Games Area
1 p.m. - Linn County Loggers' Jamboree, Logging Arena
1 to 4 p.m. - Picture Gallery Open, Picture Gallery